Gianni Infantino has secured his third term as the president of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) until 2027, after running unopposed in the FIFA Congress held in Kigali, Rwanda on Thursday.
The 52-year-old Infantino, who previously served as the UEFA general secretary, was first elected as the FIFA president in 2016 during an extraordinary congress to complete the term of Sepp Blatter, who was ousted amid a corruption scandal. He was then re-elected in 2019.
In his victory speech, Infantino expressed his gratitude for the unopposed win and promised to continue serving the sport and all the countries under the federation.
“Being President of FIFA is an incredible honour, an incredible privilege. It is also a great, great responsibility. I’m truly humbled and touched by your support. I promise you I will continue serving FIFA, serving football all over the world, serving all 211 member associations of FIFA,” he said.
Infantino’s re-election comes after FIFA approved the expansion of the men’s World Cup, starting from the 2026 edition hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
This decision will increase the number of matches to 104, up from the previous format of 64 games.